Ermitage l'Ermite, Maison M. Chapoutier 2022

Another wine that's only for those with patience, the 2022 Ermitage L'Ermite was 85% destemmed and vinified all in concrete tanks, with the élevage spanning 18 months in just 20% new French oak. Incredible aromatics of pure crème de cassis, burning embers, graphite, scorched earth, and liquid rock-like minerality all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, chiseled mouthfeel, flawless tannins, and sensational levels of concentration and extract. As with the other 2022s here, it stays tight, compact, and inward on the palate and is going to need bottle age. It's a heavenly wine in the making, though.